WEDNESDAY September 22, 2004
OPTIMIST THE
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Abilene Christian University
Vol. 93, No. 10 1 section, 8 pages www.acuoptimist.com
Serving the ACU community since 1912
Beyond the classroom:
Students serve on Saturday:
Cats upset Texans:
Students have enjoyed Dr. Charles Trevathan’s classes for 17 years. Page 5
Students had several choices and opportunities to participate in the first Service Saturday of the semester this weekend around Abilene. Page 3
The football team defeated the No. 7 team in the nation, Tarleton State. Page 8
Flag display in Chapel creates stir International Students Association says it does not support petition By JACI SCHNEIDER OPINION EDITOR
More than 90 students and faculty signed a petition last week regarding the size of the American flag at Opening Day Ceremonies at Chapel The petition asks that the American flag be the same size as the flags from other nations.
Teresa Pecinovsky, senior Christian ministry major from Cresco, Iowa, wrote the letter and sent it to the president’s office and the Chapel office Saturday. Dr. Money responded to the petition, said Jim Holmans, executive assistant to the president. However, the petition has already caused controversy on campus. Susanna Drehsel, senior political science major from Heidelberg, Germany and vice president of the International
Students Association, said that several international students have already heard negative comments toward them regarding the petition. American students have said comments like, ‘They chose to come here; if they don’t like it they can leave,’ Drehsel said. However, an ISA member did not write the petition, nor was it written in response to any complaints from ISA members. “ISA as an organization does
not support the petition,” Drehsel said. “I want to make sure that the ACU community knows that the majority of international students is not offended (by the size of the American flag).” Pecinovsky announced the petition in ISA Chapel on Thursday, but only four of 133 students signed it, Drehsel said, adding that at least one of those students is American. “A majority of those who signed it are American,” Pecinovsky said.
“I am by no means speaking for the International Students Association — I can’t really because I’m not one.” Pecinovsky said she’s gotten the same type of reactions from American and international students: some support the petition and some oppose it. “I would like to start opening dialogue,” she said. “Let’s consider the message we’re sending — let’s get it on the table.” See FLAG Page 4
BRIAN SCHMIDT/Optimist file photo
Dr. Paul Piersall leads the Pledge of Allegiance during Opening Day Ceremonies in front of the large American flag in Moody Coliseum.
Follies highlights ‘ACU difference’ ‘The AC: Nothing’s Cooler’ chosen for this year’s Follies theme By SARAH CARLSON COPY EDITOR
EYAKEM GULILAT/Staff Photographer
Students play the board game “Battle of the Sexes” during Saturday night’s Tri-University Bash in the Bean Sprout. Students from HardinSimmons and McMurry universities were invited to campus to give students the opportunity to meet others.
Event brings local colleges together ACU, Hardin-Simmons, McMurry students meet in Bean Sprout By MALLORY SHERWOOD STAFF WRITER
The first Tri-University Bash of the semester drew about 4050 students from ACU, HardinSimmons and McMurry universities to the Bean Sprout on Friday evening to mingle, play board and card games and to participate in bowling, pool and Xbox tournaments. The students arrived and congregated around the bowling lanes to try to win prizes and mingled in the Bean Sprout’s dining room to play cards, play on the piano and partake in the
snack foods and drinks available, said Noel Cothren, student cultural adviser and sophomore art major from Albuquerque, N.M. Students laughed, joked and chattered throughout the evening while taking advantage of the free pool, Xbox and bowling paid for by the Office of Student Multicultural Enrichment, which sponsored the event. Sixteen students from McMurry and HSU attended, marking it a success for Cothren. “Everyone that came seemed to have a good time, and they got to meet some students from the other universities, too,” she said. She also said the office plans to advertise to the other cam-
puses in Abilene better next semester instead of only passing out fliers. Besides the alluring free aspect of the evening, students said they also attended to be able to meet students from HSU and McMurry and some of the international students on campus. “I like free food and games to begin with, and being with some of the international students gives the evening a different dynamic,” said Jeremy Webb, junior youth and family ministry major from Austin. Chandra Hayes, a sophomore at HSU, said she has always wanted to meet people who are not from Texas or the United States. “Tonight I got to meet a
By RUBEN J. GONZALEZ STUDENT REPORTER
Brandon Scott Thomas couldn’t believe the words that came out of Dr. Royce Money’s mouth a few weeks ago when the ACU president unexpectedly phoned him. After a few minutes reminiscing about each other’s family, Money delivered the news: ‘I am pleased to announce you have been selected as this year’s Young Alumnus of the Year,’ Thomas remembered.
Thomas will be recognized publicly during Homecoming Chapel on Oct. 23. “My first thought was, I hope someone’s not playing a joke on me,” said Thomas, a 1992 graduate of ACU. “I was speechless. I thought to myself, are you serious?” A 33-member Alumni Advisory Board, in recognition of professional achievement and distinguished service to ACU, selected Thomas Aug. 21 for the award that salutes alumni under 40 years old. Thomas was nominated by 1972 graduate Linda Giddens. As a student, Thomas See AWARD Page 4
See BASH Page 2
E-mail Carlson at: skc02a@acu.edu
Barnard calls for changes
‘Young alumnus’ honored by alumni ACU graduate now leads the Zoe Group in Nashville, Tenn.
whole group of students from Madagascar,” she said. “It is cool that ACU has so many international students.” Her roommate, Jessica Rowan, also a sophomore from HSU, had never been to ACU and said she was excited to see the campus. Both women said they were anxious to see if they could begin something similar to ACU’s multicultural enrichment programs at their own campus. The cultural student adviser committee, which organized the event, was designed this year to plan events for the ACU campus that promote academic, spiritual and social development between all of the students, as
‘The AC: Nothing’s Cooler’ is this year’s theme for Freshman Follies, playing off of FOX’s hit show The OC. “I chose The AC as a theme because The OC is a popular TV show, and how it can contrast what The OC says,” said Kendall Massey, director of Student Productions. “The OC is a show that is about worldly things, and we are saying that things are different here.” The basic theme behind The AC is “Salt. Light. Different.” According to the Web site, “The AC is about what makes each of us Salt and Light, what makes ACU and its freshmen different, and why no place in the world is like ACU.” Massey said he purposely made the theme broad to let students sing about the topics that interest them. “I like to give room for people to be creative,” Massey said. “Everyone’s been really happy because they can do different things.” Freshman Follies is a production in which freshmen have song and dance numbers with their different floors in their residence halls based on a certain theme with talent show style acts in between. A large chorus of men and women performs during the show, and this year’s large chorus is performing the song School of Rock from the movie of the same name.
Performances of the show are 7 and 9 p.m. Friday and 1, 3 and 5 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $8 and can be bought through Friday in the Campus Center ticket windows or online at www.freshmanfollies.com. Katie Scott, freshman interior design major from Whitehouse, is performing in Gardner Hall’s second floor act and said she is having fun getting to know the women on her hall. She said her hall’s theme is Massey about what they think is cool at ACU and around Abilene, and their practices include late nights of dancing. “It’s something so we don’t get bored at the beginning of school, since everybody else is pledging,” Scott said. Jessica Chisholm, freshman undeclared major from Memphis, Tenn., said Nelson Hall second floor’s theme is “Too Cool for School,” where they sing about learning about college life, swiping cards in Chapel and coming in late for curfew. “My brother said it was a good way to meet people and I should do it,” Chisholm said. She said she likes spending time with the women on the hall and that they aren’t practicing too much. “It’s fun, but I’ll be glad when it’s over,” Chisholm said.
Dean of Campus Life asks for improvement of student behavior By SARAH CARLSON COPY EDITOR
COURTESY PHOTO
Young Alumnus of the Year Brandon Scott Thomas sings in Moody Coliseum last February during Lectureship.
Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of Campus Life, spoke to students in Chapel on Tuesday about several recurring behavioral issues that have concerned him. He said a number of instances over the past several weeks spurred him to appeal to the student body to look at their behavior. Barnard began by requesting students arrive at Chapel on time and be quiet when entering. “I’m sorry, but it’s just not appropriate to come in late and talk while we’re singing
praises to God,” Barnard told the crowd. “It’s just wrong. I want to appeal to you and let you know that you are louder than you think.” He mentioned two instances in Chapel recently when students talked during the lessons of Dr. Mark Love, assistant professor of ministry, and Mark Lewis, director of Barnard Student Life, saying he was embarrassed for the speakers as well as certain sections in Chapel. “The decent and courteous thing to do is to come in quietly,” Barnard said. He said it is inappropriate
for students to leave Chapel early, saying that it is a lesson learned in kindergarten. He also mentioned that an administrative card is slid in the card readers when Chapel is officially over, so every student swiping before then is counted absent. Barnard rebuked students for “sliding and gliding,” sliding in to Chapel and then leaving, only coming back to slide out again. “That’s a lie, it’s deceptive, it’s cheating, and it’s an issue of academic integrity,” Barnard said. The recent deaths of two students at Colorado University from alcohol poisoning prompted Barnard to mention the seriousness of See DEAN Page 4